Фото: посольство РФ в Беларуси
Russia is pressuring Belarus to expand Minsk’s involvement in the war against Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing current and former Russian and European officials.
According to the newspaper, Moscow’s demands include using Belarusian territory to launch drone strikes against Ukraine, expanding the front line and diverting Ukrainian forces. An alternative option could be an unconventional operation against NATO neighbours.
A former Russian intelligence officer familiar with discussions between Russia and Belarus told the WSJ that Moscow is pressuring Belarus by threatening to cut off financial support on which Minsk depends. He said that most of the discussions took place between Aliaksandr Lukashenka and the Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov.
At the same time, the newspaper noted that there are no signs Russia is planning to use Belarus for a military operation in the near future. However, WSJ sources said such a possibility exists. According to them, such an operation would not necessarily take the form of a conventional military attack. It could involve an action aimed at testing NATO’s defences or undermining support for Ukraine. As an example, they cited the large-scale incursion of Russian drones into Poland last year, many of which approached from the direction of Belarus.